New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-02
PROHIBITION IN MICHIGAN

|
vote on the following amendment 10 the State
Constitution.
SEC 40 Tho manufacture, gift or sale OF
sprit1Ious malt or vnous liquors IN this State, ex-
ccpt for medicinal mechanical chemical or scientific
purposes is prohibited: and no property right IN
such spirtuous, malt vinous liquors shall DO
deemed TO exist except the right TO manufacture or
sell for medicinal mechanical chemical scientific
purposes under such restrictions and regulations az
may be provided by law. Tho Legislature shall
enact laws with suitable penalties for tho suppress
sion Of tho manufacture, sale and keeping for sale
or gift of Intoxicating liquors. except as herein
specified.
Inc excitement in the State has risen TO
fever heat under the energetic canvass of the
Prohibitionists. Strong opposition to the
amendment has developed in the principal
cities and towns, while in the country the Pro-
hibtion sentiment appears to be dominant.
The liquor interest failed for some time to
realize the formidable character of The work
being done on behalf of the amendment, but
having at last been reused it has applied itself
encrgctically TO agitation, and APP
pears 10 have made much Roadway in the cen
tres Of population, where there is n strong
feeling among the intelligent classes, in favor
OF high license and local option. a being more
susceptible of application than Prohibition.
Whether those who hold this view will consider
themselves justified in voting against the
amendment, however. remains to lie seen.
Michigan is essentially an agricultural State.
Three ffths Of its inhabitants live outside the
cities and small towns. This fact renders IT.
necessary that the cities should cast heavy
majoritics against the amendment, if they are
to defeat It, and it is not at all clear that the
necessary urban votes can he controlled 20 that
end. The excitement all over the State indi-
Gates the polling of full vote on Monday. un-
less the weather should lie so bad IA to cut up
the roads seriously and Obsiruct travel The
greatest enthusiasm seems TO have been evoked
on the side Of Prohibition. and though the
activity Of the ProhibitoniSts partly explains
this. the circumstance that prohbitOry lcgisla-
ton is not new to Michigan renders it some
what difficult TO understand unless il is assumed
| that marked change in public sentiment has
| taken place since the experiment was first
| tried. For il is an interesting and opposite
fact that in 1855 Michigan put on her statute
| hook one Of the most thorough and stringent
prohibition laws ever enacted. 1t is scarcely
possible to conceive Of an enactment covering
the ground more completely In short lis pro
visions virtually eliminated the property quail
ity from liquor Of all kinds. All contracts
into which il entered were invaldatcd. All
payments for it were made without considcra
ton and recoverable on that ground. IT,
manufacture and sale were prohibited absolute
". To sell it was to forfeit the lease Of the
place where the sale occurred. Owners Of
property leased rs saloons were made jointly
liable with the saloon-kecpcrs for actual and
exemplary damages The penalties were Sc
-,
of the law was carefully provided for. IL was
apparently a model statute of the kind.
1t is no doubt possible that public opinion
has SO advanced since the failure and abandon
ment of that law that its effective operation
could now be guaranteed. Some such belief
probably is held by the country voters. for
| in the absence Of such change the prevailing
enthusiasm would be hardly Ineligible And it
is plain that in thirty years there must have
been great growth Of Temperance ideas among
an intelligent people keeping abreast Of modern
thought and progress. Though it is not pos
siblc TO make predictions Of any value concern
ing the issue of contest into which so many
factors enter, it is safe TO say that the Pro
hibitionists have displayed the most activity
throughout the campaign, and II is equally
apparent that in the country the people have
been greatly interested by their speeches and
arguments. There is indeed some ground for
fear that the excitement may eliminate in law
lcssncss in some Of the places where the rough
clements are enlisted against the amendment
For any trouble Of this character the liquor
interest would no doubt be held responsible
and should the amendment be defeated and
any serious scandal accompany tho event. the
indications are that temperance reform would
be fastened instead Of hindcred. AT present
however, the signs do not prognosticatc the
defeat of the amendment, though, Of course
the result is uncertain.